Oroville man sentenced to 109 years prison for 2011 murder

Oroville >> An Oroville man convicted of murder for a 2011 apartment shooting was sentenced Friday to 109 years, 4 months in state prison.

The sentence for defendant Derrik Michael Blanton, 25, included a term of 75 years to life plus a determinate term of 34 years, 4 months, according to supervising deputy district attorney Michael Sanderson.

On March 4, a Butte County Superior Court jury convicted Blanton of murdering John Loren Ball, then 48, at Oro Villa Apartments in Oroville on Dec. 21, 2011.

The jury also convicted Blanton of felony attempted second-degree robbery and three felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm against three other victims. The panel also found true the special allegations that the defendant used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury or death against three victims.

During Friday's sentencing, one of Ball's sisters addressed the court.

Sanderson said the prosecution was satisfied with the sentence. Blanton intends to file an appeal, but the defendant otherwise faces a lengthy prison term.

"He won't be a danger to the people of Butte County for a while," Sanderson said.

During the trial, witnesses testified Blanton entered the Mitchell Avenue apartment and tried to take the contents of Ball's pockets before demanding the contents of a safe in the kitchen.

Ball told him to go ahead, but the defendant accidentally closed the safe. Blanton demanded that Ball reopen the safe, but Ball refused and told him to leave.

Blanton headed toward the front door with Ball following. The defendant turned and shot at Ball, striking him four times.

Shots struck others in the apartment. One man was shot in the chest, a woman was shot in the leg and another was struck by ricochet.

Sanderson said during the trial that five of six surviving witnesses in the apartment identified Blanton as the shooter.

The defendant was arrested Dec. 25, 2011, in Sacramento. He reportedly told a detective there that he wouldn't have been homeless if he had the safe's contents. Blanton also expressed sympathy for Ball's death.